NESO Now: the official figures, federal rules and funding behind land, development and small business

Where construction jobs grew

Here are the states where construction jobs grew fastest over the year to September 2026, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. First was Louisiana, up 13.9 percent. Next came Wyoming, up 8.4 percent, Illinois, up 6.0 percent, Kansas, up 5.8 percent, and Ohio, up 5.8 percent. At the other end were Alaska, down 5.3 percent, West Virginia, down 4.0 percent, and New Hampshire, down 2.2 percent.

The ranking is worked out from the published figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Building permits, two years

Here is building permits for new homes over the past two years. The latest figure, for September 2026, is 1.40 million, according to the Census Bureau.

At the start of this period, in September 2024, it was 1.42 million. The high point in that time was 1.54 million, in February 2026. The low point was 1.35 million, in August 2025.

Permits usually come before starts, which is why they are watched as an early sign of what will be built.

Main street in four figures

Here is main street in four official figures. U.S. retail and food service sales were $745.0 billion in September 2026, according to the Census Bureau's advance estimate. That is up from $739.3 billion in August 2026. It is the first, seasonally adjusted estimate of spending at stores and restaurants, and it is revised later.

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs were 159.0 million in September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is unchanged from August 2026.

It counts jobs at businesses and in government, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly survey of employers. Consumer prices were up 3.7 percent from a year earlier in September 2026, by the Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The bank prime loan rate was 6.87 percent in September 2026, according to the Federal Reserve. That is up from 6.75 percent in August 2026.

Many small-business loans and lines of credit are priced as the prime rate plus a margin. The figures come from FRED, the data service of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Administrative Declaration of a Disaster for the State of Indiana

Here is a closer look at one item from the Federal Register. On October 15, the Small Business Administration published a notice: Administrative Declaration of a Disaster for the State of Indiana. In its own summary, the agency says this.

This is notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the state of Indiana dated October 9, 2026. Incident: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flash Flooding.

The Small Business Administration sets the size standards and loan program rules that decide which businesses qualify for federal help.